cultus

Cultus is a Latin noun meaning worship, reverence, or cultivation. Derived from colere “to cultivate, tend,” the term historically covers both agricultural cultivation and the ritual care of the gods. In classical Latin, cultus deorum refers to the system of worship and the ceremonials by which a community honors its deities, including sacrifices, offerings, prayers, rites, and temple duties. In religious studies and archaeology, cultus is used to describe the practical dimension of religion—the liturgical life, ritual activity, and ceremonial forms that structure religious experience—distinguishing it from doctrine (belief) and organizational structures.

Scholars distinguish public or state cults, devoted to major gods and integrated with political life, from private or domestic cults conducted within households or local cult centers. The term is often employed in analyses of ancient Roman religion, Greek cult practices, and the broader study of ritual systems across cultures.

In modern English usage, the word “cult” has acquired pejorative or sensational connotations when referring to groups perceived as deviant or manipulative. In academic contexts, it is common to reserve cultus or cultic practices for neutral discussion of ritual life, or to speak of new religious movements when describing contemporary phenomena. The Latin term remains a useful analytic category for examining how communities organize worship, rites, and sacred spaces, and how those practices interact with social, political, and economic life.